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Still in search of perfection

Star paddler earns nomination for 5th straight year and eyes more glory

Published on Feb 02, 2013
in The Straits Times

By May Chen
FENG Tianwei is a three-time Olympic medallist with an uncompleted to-do list.

Even with a world team title wrested from the hands of mighty China on her resume, Singapore's top table tennis player's thirst for glory is insatiable.

"I'm a Virgo," the 26-year-old born on Aug 31 declared proudly.

"A perfectionist."

But to be unsatisfied after a year that included two Olympic medals - a bronze in the singles and another in the team event that made her Singapore's first multiple Olympic medallist at a singles Games - is perhaps what separates athletes like Feng from those who are less successful.

Said The Straits Times Athlete of the Year award nominee: "No matter how well I do, I always feel that I am capable of more. I have very high expectations of myself and am almost never content."

Feng is the only athlete to have been considered for every single edition of the annual award since it was inaugurated in 2009 - although she was twice named as part of the national women's team.

She won the 2010 trophy with her team-mates for beating powerhouses China to the world title.

Or perhaps, in the eyes of this self-proclaimed perfectionist, 2012 remains an imperfect year - and her toughest yet.

"My results fluctuated a lot and my world ranking dropped," said Feng, who started the year ranked fifth but was 10th by June.

For someone who was once a match away from being the world's best paddler, 10th was unthinkable.

"Because of my bad performances at tournaments before the Olympics, I wondered from time to time if I was going to be a flop at the Games," the current world No.8 recalled.

But she steam-rollered Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa 4-0 in the bronze-medal play-off to win Singapore's first individual Olympic medal in 52 years.

Where others like coach Jing Junhong and team-mate Li Jiawei had fallen short at previous Games, Feng rose to the occasion.

"I wanted to change history," she said. "Playing at the Olympics is like walking into a life-or-death battle. It's a baptism of fire for athletes and anyone who goes through it comes out different."

With the recent retirement of veterans Li and Wang Yuegu, Feng is now tasked with leading a largely untested team to success. The burden feels heavier than ever.

But having twice emerged with distinction from the cauldron that is the Olympics, there is a quiet confidence about her.

"Our team now is young and inexperienced. I have to shoulder more of the responsibility so the others can bear less. But I think I can do it," she said.

Hazard a guess if you like, but Feng will not reveal what her unfulfilled mission is. She said: "I still have one more target to meet, but I will not say what it is. When I've done it, you'll know."

Table tennis star Feng Tianwei, Singapore's first multiple Olympic medallist at a single Games, says that no matter how well she has done, she feels she is capable of more. She still has a target to fulfil, though she is not telling. -- ST FILE PHOTO

Core principle of pricing new flats - affordability: Khaw

By S Ramesh | Posted: 05 February 2013 1415 hrs

SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the core principle behind the pricing of new HDB flats remains affordability.

Replying to questions in Parliament on Tuesday, he said the prices of new HDB flats are set based on the typical household income of families, the market price of similar resale flats in the vicinity, and the flat size and location.

Mr Khaw said HDB applies a substantial price discount to ensure that the new flats will be affordable and to give eligible first-time home buyers a leg up, the government provides them with significant housing grants of up to S$60,000.

He said in this way first-timers who buy new flats in non-mature estates will find them affordable.

MP for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah asked in Parliament: "If I heard correctly just now, minister mentioned that the resale price of the flats in the vicinity is taken into consideration. I thought recently minister mentioned the price of new BTO flat has just been de-linked from the resale price?"

Mr Khaw said: "The member has not heard wrongly. Both statements are correct. We take into account those factors, and we apply a discount, and then further we give extra grants to the members. But in recent months because when I de-linked - the meaning of de-linking means, I vary the discounts, so that the prices can maintain, steady."

White Paper is govt's plan to forestall impending crisis: ESM Goh

SINGAPORE: Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said the White Paper on Population is the government's plan to forestall an impending crisis.

Speaking in Parliament for the first time since he stepped down from Cabinet in 2011, Mr Goh also said decisions made will have implications on Singapore's competitiveness and international stature.

Mr Goh said the government faces some serious challenges ahead such as addressing the constraints of space and the limits of an ageing and shrinking citizen population.

There is also the need to meet the higher expectations of a well-educated young generation for better jobs, promising careers, affordable housing and comfortable lifestyles.

Thus, the White Paper is a strategic plan to find solutions to sustain growth and prosperity to benefit all Singaporeans.

Mr Goh said: "But unlike our previous crises, our demographic challenge unfolds imperceptibly over one or two decades like a slow, sinking ship. Yet it is urgent, in that we need to decide how to act now to right the ship. That is the difficulty for the Prime Minister and his team. They have to think long term. They can see the population pyramid becoming unstable. They can see the silver tsunami coming. They can see the economy deflating at some point in the future. They fear the Singapore ship will sink."

Mr Goh said he is reassured that the population figure of 6.9 million is a planning parameter and not a target.

And instead on being fixated on the population figure, he urged for agreement on the broad approach laid out in the paper.

These include changing to a lower gear in economic growth and a calibrated slow-down in expansion of the non-resident workforce.

Mr Goh said the White Paper seeks to strike a balance, with the interests of Singaporeans and businesses in mind.

He said: "A reduced inflow of foreign workers will complement the impetus to raise productivity. Our businesses must adjust and the government will help them make the transition. Those which are structurally unable to may have to rationalize their operations. Some may have to relocate. Affected Singaporean workers must be helped."

Mr Goh said continual economic restructuring is one of the enduring features of the Singapore Story.

And as Singapore is a price-taker in international economics and geopolitics, whether the country can continue to shape international developments to its advantage, is contingent on it remaining vibrant and successful.

He said foreign businesses in Singapore are watching the debate and the next steps to be taken closely.

Mr Goh said: "If our institutions are not forward-looking, our economy flat, our society divided, Singapore will not be able to punch above its weight. It will lose its lustre and influence. Why would others invest in Singapore and in Singaporeans if our house is in disarray and we cannot solve the big problems confronting the country?

"These are tough, fundamental challenges which the PM and his ministers will have to resolve. They will have to do this not only intellectually and logically, but also emotionally and sensitively. They will have to dispel people's current and future fears, win their hearts and minds, while planning a better tomorrow for them."

He added: "I applaud PM and his team for their courage and leadership in tabling this paper to sketch out the next chapter of the Singapore Story. The politically expedient alternative would have been to leave the issue to his successor to tackle."

Mr Goh said the challenges face concern all Singaporeans and that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong did the right thing to lay out the challenges in a transparent manner so that Singaporeans and debate and build consensus on their future.

"PM and his team did the right thing by laying out the problems, the trade-offs, and our options in a transparent manner so that all Singaporeans can become more aware of our demographic destiny, debate it and build consensus on the way forward."

Mr Goh asked Singaporeans to read the White Paper together with the many programmes that the government is rolling out to meet the needs of Singaporeans.

And together, he said, they formed the strategic plan to make lives better for all Singaporeans.

Take a visual tour of the Kranji Experience

Published on Feb 08, 2013
5:30 AM

The dam at Kranji Reservoir Park was constructed in 1975 and was one of Singapore's earliest solutions to solve water constraints. The park was also the place where a group of volunteers called the Dalforce fought alongside Australian troops against the Japanese on Feb 10, 1942. The allied troops scored themselves a victory after burning the invading forces after setting fire to oil released from the nearby Woodlands depot. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

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The entrance of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Students get to visit a main hide, a shelter for discreetly watching wildlife and a mangrove boardwalk. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

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A photo of the mangrove boardwalk at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, the third stop during War and Peace, The Kranji Experience on Feb 1, 2013. Students will also get to watch a 12 minute video and visit a main hide, which is a shelter for the discreet watching of wildlife. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

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A crab spotted along the mangrove boardwalk at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Students also get to visit a main hide, a shelter for discreetly watching wildlife. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

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A crocodile spotted along the mangrove boardwalk at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Students also get to visit a main hide, a shelter for discreetly watching wildlife. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

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The mangrove boardwalk at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Students also get to visit a main hide, a shelter for discreetly watching wildlife. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

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The memorial plaque at Sarimbun Beach. The Japanese invaded Singapore here on Feb 8, 1942. Despite defeating the first two waves of Japanese troops, The Australian defence was breeched on the third wave. -- ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Mr Sam Tan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Culture, Community and Youth launched the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's (MCCY) Resilience Trail, War & Peace: The Kranji Experience yesterday.

The trail features the World War II battlefield site of Srimbun beach where Allied soldiers fought against the invading Japanese Army.

This is the fourth in a series of trails designed to promote an appreciation of our history and heritage.

ST Athlete of the Year: Maturity maketh the champion

Reining in her temperament pays off for Ng as she finally hits the jackpot

Published on Feb 09, 2013
3:36 PM

Bowling world champion Shayna Ng is now calmer and more in control at crucial moments. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

By Wang Meng Meng

SHAYNA Ng is a world champion bowler, but few know that her glorious career very nearly did not take off.

She shot to nationwide prominence in December when she won the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Poland. That made her the second Singaporean - after Jasmine Yeong-Nathan in 2008 - to become the world champion.

Her achievement, which was one of the highlights in a golden year for Singapore sport, earned her a nomination for The Straits Times' Athlete of the Year award.

But it nearly did not turn out that way.

Ng had enjoyed a rapid rise in the sport. From a beginner as a 13-year-old in 2002, her talent ensured that she was in the national junior squad within a year. By 2006, she was already a full international.

But just as quickly, she was relegated back to the juniors a year later for exhibiting a poor attitude in training.

She slogged her way back into the senior team in 2008. Then, she started winning. First came the 2010 Asian Games (trios) crown, then the Hong Kong Open, Commonwealth Championships (doubles, mixed team) and SEA Games (team) titles in 2011.

But, despite her growing success, defeats rankled. None more so than the 2011 World Women's Championships (WWC) loss in Hong Kong.

Then, she had finished third despite a WWC singles record score of 1,601 over six games (average of 266) in the preliminaries, beating the previous mark by almost 200 pinfalls (1,407). But she failed to deliver in the final rounds.

Ng recalled: "Back then, I would blame everyone and everything but myself. I would say that the competition format was unfair.

"I was always in denial. It made me feel better for a while but not in the long run."

The 23-year-old then gave the assurance that that is all in the past. She now uses cue words tailored to calm her down in certain situations during competition.

"Stay aggressive", "focus on the process, not outcome"... mental pointers such as these.

"I've always needed that little bit more control at the most crucial moments. I used to be nervous, especially at step-ladder tournaments," she said.

"Those cue words have helped me block my opponent out from my mind and let me play my own game."

And despite the pain, she is thankful for the defeats she had suffered previously for the experiences are priceless.

Ng explained: "You can train every day but experience is something that cannot be trained.

"You can be very talented but you will still need to respond to the pressures of real competition."

The practice, the hardened psyche, the wisdom and the muscle memory all came together in spectacular fashion in Poland as she ended 2012 with the world crown on her spiky hair.

She began 2013 in similar fashion, winning the International Championships in Japan, which come with a prize purse of US$60,000 (S$73,500) and pitted her against 118 other women.

But hunger is driving her on.

She said: "I keep telling myself that I've not won anything yet. There's another important game still to play."

Amended motion on white paper adopted; 6.9 million is not a target

Published on Feb 09, 2013
2:23 PM

People crossing the road at Bugis Junction on Feb 8, 2013. In his speech on Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the 6.9 million figure had been taken out of context. The future population, he said, depends on Singaporeans of tomorrow and not the Government of today.-- ST PHOTO: CAROLINE CHiA

After a week of robust debate, MPs and political observers welcomed the amended motion of the White Paper endorsed by Parliament on Friday.

The changes make clear that the 6.9 million population figure in 2030 is not a target and the Government is not deciding now on any specific population size for beyond 2020. The projections beyond this decade are for the purpose of land use and infrastructure planning. Meanwhile, priority will be be given to addressing current infrastructure bottlenecks.

In his speech on Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the 6.9 million figure had been taken out of context. The future population, he said, depends on Singaporeans of tomorrow and not the Government of today.

His own guess was that it would be somewhere above six million to cater to an ageing baby boomer generation but yet "significantly below" 6.9 million.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen in 2030. Even in 2020, you cannot be sure... Therefore we cannot decide on a population trajectory beyond 2020," he said.

There will be a review of plans in the white paper closer to 2020, PM Lee added.

Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan welcomed the Government's move to stress that the 6.9 million figure is not a target but a planning parameter, and said this now has to sink in with Singaporeans. Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa, who proposed the amendments, said: "It's good that we can highlight a few things in the amended motion like the Singaporean core, and the fact that this is not a population target. I think the backbencher MPs were more comfortable with the amendment."

The original motion reads: "That this House endorses Paper Cmd. 1 of 2013 on "A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore" as the population policy roadmap to address Singapore's demographic challenge, and Paper Misc. 1 of 2013 on "A High Quality Living Environment for all Singaporeans" as the land use plan to support Singapore's future population."

The amendment proposed by Mr Liang on Tuesday reads:

(1) to leave out "population policy"; and

(2) at the end, to add "projections; and supports maintaining a strong Singaporean core by encouraging more Singaporeans to get married and have children, supplemented by a calibrated pace of immigration to prevent the citizen population from shrinking; and recognises that the population projections beyond 2020 are for the purpose of land use and infrastructure planning, and not a population target; and calls on the Government to:

(a) place priority on resolving current strains on the infrastructure, particularly in transport;

(c) ensure that the benefits of our population policies, such as better job opportunities and salaries, flow to Singaporeans; and

(d) carry out medium term reviews of our population policies and assumptions to take into account the changing needs of Singapore and Singaporeans, as well as changing domestic and external circumstances."

Changi to spend $1.3b to build T4 and surrounding infrastructure

Published on Feb 08, 2013
1:50 PM

Changi Airport will spend close to $1.3 billion to build Terminal 4 as well as new roads and aircraft parking bays to support the capacity growth. Work on the facility and infrastructure will start this year and be completed in 2017, Changi Airport Group said on Friday. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

By Karamjit Kaur

Changi Airport will spend close to $1.3 billion to build Terminal 4 as well as new roads and aircraft parking bays to support the capacity growth. Work on the facility and infrastructure will start this year and be completed in 2017, Changi Airport Group said on Friday.
T4 to be built where the old Budget Terminal was located will be a two-storey high building designed to cater mainly to budget carriers and regional airlines that operate single-aisle aircraft.

But unlike the spartan Budget Terminal, it will offer passengers more comfort and services, the airport said.

For example it will provide aerobridges so people are sheltered from the rain and sun instead of having to board and disembark aircraft using mobile stairs.

Guided tours on Istana Open House days

SINGAPORE - For the first time, a guided tour will be held at the Istana to promote a deeper understanding of the national monument - a collaboration between the Preservation of Monuments Board and the Istana of Singapore.

The first tour will be offered on Monday at the Istana's Lunar New Year Open House. Whether it's a painting inspired by a tropical plantation or a decorated ceiling, there's a human interest story behind each art piece.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam said: "People come here but they don't really understand the significance of the building and some of the artefacts and paintings until somebody explains it to you. Just like myself, I come here everyday and I pass all these things and it doesn't register until you know what are the details."

But now you can get the chance to hear the stories behind the 144-year-old national monument through a guided tour. The 45-minute tour, led by a team of volunteers, will take visitors through Singapore during the colonial days to the tumultuous years towards independence.

One of the art pieces that stood out for President Tony Tan was a Balinese painting which has multiple stories playing out simultaneously within the picture. So one can expect to see iconic structures and buildings of Singapore's landscape which include the Merlion, Changi Airport and the Singapore River.

Visitors can also expect to hear stories of individuals involved in the daily management in each of the three stately rooms. A banquet hall that used to be the kitchen underwent renovation to now host State banquets held in honour of visiting heads of states and governments. The centrepiece of the room is a chandelier weighing 220 kilogrammes.

The tour will be offered on all Istana Open House days from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Ticket fees for the guided tour are at S$2 for children between the ages of 4 and 12, S$4 for Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents, and S$10 for foreigners.

All proceeds collected from the tours will be donated to the Community Chest.
Tickets can be bought at the site itself. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

NTU teams up with Israeli university in satellite and space research

THE Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) have teamed up to collaborate in satellite and space research.

A joint press statement issued on Monday stated that this cooperation would allow NTU to expand its satellite research programme with one of the world's top science and technology research universities that is often dubbed "Israel's MIT", a reference to the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.

The memorandum of understanding was signed on Sunday by the president of NTU, Professor Bertil Andersson, and Technion's president, Professor Peretz Lavie, in Haifa in Israel.

"The agreement will strengthen NTU's satellite programme, cementing its position as Singapore's number one university in satellite research," said Professor Andersson.

After Singapore painter Ruben Pang made his mark in Milan with a group show last November with Italian gallery Primo Marella, he is now holding a solo exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland, this month. -- ST PHOTO: TERRENCE LIM

By Deepika Shetty

After Singapore painter Ruben Pang made his mark in Milan with a group show last November with Italian gallery Primo Marella, he is now holding a solo exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland, this month.

The choice of Europe for Pang's international solo debut comes amid buzz already building there for the artist.

At the group show in November, called Deep S.E.A - Contemporary Art from South East Asia, three of Pang's paintings sold even before it opened.

His new solo show consists of three sculptures - the first time he has exhibited the genre - together with nine new paintings. Pang describes the paintings as "an attempt to bring a saturated light/digital visual effects/dream sequences/glitches into oil paint".

Singapore scientists develop advanced way to map human DNA changes

SINGAPORE - Singapore scientists have discovered a way to map chemical changes that occur in the human DNA using 100 times fewer cells than was previously possible.

The Genome Institute of Singapore describes this as an "extremely important advancement".

That's because the regulation of any changes to cells in the body is essential for normal growth and health.

Any abnormality in the cells could be the cause of diseases such as cancers.
Conventional methods of studying changes to the DNA require large quantities of cells - about one million to 10 million cells.

This makes it difficult to study rare cell populations of the body.

The new method allows scientists to map changes in the DNA using very small populations of cells.

Principal investigator Dr Shyam Prabhakar said: "It's akin to having a more powerful microscope that provides a more fine-grained view of critical biological processes.

"We are very excited about using this new technique to peer into the inner workings of tiny groups of cells that have a massive impact on human health. For example, tumours in cancer patients are known to be heterogeneous at the fine scale - some sub-regions are relatively benign, while others are lethal.

"The new protocol will help us characterize this fine-scale variation, and hopefully lead to more precise treatments for cancer and a host of other diseases."

The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) is an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). CHANNEL NEWSASIA

SINGAPORE: Provost of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Professor Freddy Boey, has received the prestigious Faculty of Medicine Fellowship by Imperial College London for his contribution to biomedical sciences.

The Fellowship was awarded to Professor Boey on Tuesday at Imperial College's Faculty of Medicine.

It's to recognise his exceptional achievements in medical technology and his outstanding contributions to the development of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine - a joint medical school between NTU and Imperial College.

Professor Boey, a renowned serial inventor with 25 global patents to his name, has developed many innovative medical devices.

These include a first-of-its-kind hernia mesh, which was recently approved for sale by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

The mesh is now marketed by a start-up company which he co-founded.

The company is in talks to test it in local hospitals by the end of the year.

Civilian War Memorial at Beach Road gazetted as national monument

Published on Feb 15, 2013
10:38 AM

A soldier (centre) bows his head in respect for the civilian victims of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore during World War II at the memorial service at the War Memorial Park at Beach Road to mark the 70th anniversary of the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. -- ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG

By Ian Poh

The Civilian War Memorial will be gazetted as a national monument this year, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong on Friday morning.
The 67-metre structure along Beach Road near City Hall MRT station was unveiled in 1967 and honours civilians who died during the Japanese Occupation in 1942.

It will be the 65th monument gazetted in Singapore. National monuments are protected by law and cannot be torn down or changed in any major way.

Speaking to reporters at the 46th War Memorial Service at War Memorial Park, held every year on Total Defense Day in memory of victims of the Japanese Occupation, Mr Wong said: "The trials and sacrifices made by our forefathers...remind us of what it means to be Singaporeans."

SINGAPORE — Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived in Singapore yesterday for a Leaders’ Retreat with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the fourth between the Prime Ministers of the two countries and a key bilateral platform to drive relations forward.

The two leaders last met in Putrajaya in January last year and one key issue that was discussed then was expanding cooperation through joint projects between the two countries.

Last night, Mr Lee and his wife hosted a private dinner for Mr Najib and his wife.

This morning, the Prime Ministers and their delegations will hold discussions. In the afternoon, the two leaders will visit sites of joint ventures by Temasek Holdings and Khazanah Nasional, in Singapore and in Iskandar Malaysia.

In Singapore, they will unveil the Marina One project in Marina Bay and receive an update on the DUO project in Ophir-Rochor, which are mixed use developments.

They will then travel to Iskandar Malaysia to unveil the Urban Wellness and Resort Wellness projects in Medini.

Mr Najib is accompanied by a high-level delegation, comprising several Cabinet ministers and senior officials. Among those in the Singapore delegation are Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and several Cabinet ministers.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, attributes several reasons for the growing ties between Singapore and Malaysia.

Dr Lim said: “It is the ongoing understanding that Singapore and Malaysia do not exist alone. We are facing greater competition from other countries economically, (and) within ASEAN. Singapore and Malaysia play an important role and if they cooperate together, they can in fact move the whole of ASEAN forward.

“The Iskandar project is another catalyst to bring the two countries together because we have common interests. It is one project that will benefit both countries for the people, as well as the country.”